Meg Tilly has taken on her most intriguing role to date: that of romance author.

The Golden Globe-winning actress is no stranger to the written word. She has published several novels, most of them young-adult, since 1994.

But in "Solace Island" (Berkley, 294 pp., ★★★ out of four), Tilly finally indulges in what she refers to as her “guilty pleasure” by writing the kind of romance novel she has “devoured” since she was a teen. Not a “literary tome.” Her words, not ours. And while we agree this is no literary tome, it most definitely is a guilty pleasure. Our words, not hers.

(Tilly originally released the novel digitally through Sweetberry Press in April 2017 under the pen name Sara Flynn.)

"Solace Island" opens with bride-to-be Maggie Harris being dumped by fiance Brett at her own bachelorette party, only days before the wedding. Sadly, a clean break is not in the cards, because Brett is also Maggie’s business partner. Devastated, Maggie gives Brett an ultimatum: Buy half the company or she will sell her controlling shares to someone else. Brett balks, Maggie leaves.

"Solace Island" by Meg Tilly.(Photo: Berkley)

Maggie then travels from Arizona to the aptly named Solace Island for a few weeks of vacation with her sister Eve, an artist living in New York City. Located in the Pacific Northwest, Solace Island is an eclectic mix of local artists and hipsters. It's the charming and picturesque town of Comfort – where everything is locally sourced, farm-to-table and organic – that Maggie and Eve retreat to.

On Solace Island, Maggie runs into Luke Benson – a Special Forces operative turned security specialist turned bread baker – who, it seems, has an equally tragic romantic past. Not long after she arrives, Maggie’s life is threatened, and Luke’s past re-emerges as he comes to her aid and sets out to find out who wishes her harm.

What ensues is a romantic thriller with a clever ending. You may think you know exactly where the story is going, but looks, and people, can be deceiving.

There are of course the usual romance novel tropes, most notably the leading man’s constant state of arousal whenever he is around our feisty heroine. But isn’t it those cheeky conceits that make a true romance such a guilty indulgence? We think so. So does the publisher: A follow-up novel, "Cliff’s Edge," featuring Maggie’s sister Eve, is set to come out in May.